Get Ready to Receive Your Seed

01/15/2018

Spring planting is just around the corner, and with seed in the shed, it’s important to prepare your facilities and equipment for trouble-free delivery and storage. Consider the following tips.

Plan for seed storage. Make sure you have a readily accessible indoor area that is large enough to store the seed and still leave space to move equipment as needed. If you don’t have adequate storage, arrange to leave seed at the dealership until it’s needed for planting.

Replace any burned-out light bulbs in the storage area so you can read seed tags easily.

Determine field planting order. It’s important to know which varieties you’ll be planting first, so the dealer can place your seed in the proper order in storage. A little planning can save time when you get busy. “In the rush of planting, you won’t want the seed you need first to be stuck behind other varieties,” Welker says.

Test small engines on tenders to ensure they are in proper running condition.

Stay safe. Wear personal protective equipment and long sleeves when handling seed to prevent contact with seed treatments should a bag or box break open. Also, avoid stacking pallets or bins more than four high and make sure seed containers are tied down adequately when transporting over the road.